Prosecution Unable to Respond to Defense’s Not Criminally Responsible Plea on Behalf of Mom Accused of Murdering Children

Baltimore Court Seal

Thank you for reading Baltimore Witness.
Help us continue our mission into 2025 by donating to our end of year campaign.

Donate Now

During a Nov. 14 reception court hearing, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn set a trial date for a murder defendant and presided over parties as they discussed possible plea offers on behalf of a mother who is accused of brutally killing her two young children.

Jameria Hall, 30, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse resulting in death, and one count of use of a deadly weapon with intentional injury in connection to the deaths of her son, 8-year-old Davin Thomas, and her daughter, 6-year-old Da’Neria Thomas in their apartment on the 500 block of Coventry Road on Aug. 24, 2021.

According to the Baltimore Sun, authorities were alerted of the homicide after a maintenance man was ordered to check Hall’s apartment due to reports of a “foul smell.” 

There, Davin was found in a sleeping bag with a knife stuck in his chest and a black trash bag tied on his head. Da’Neria was found in the bathtub with an “apparent clothing object” around her neck according to WBAL-TV 11 News.

At Monday’s court proceeding, Judge Phinn and counsels agreed to a Dec. 5 trial date.

In addition, the prosecution indicated that evidence for the case has been collected and “potential witnesses” are completing a mental health evaluation of Hill.

Doctors have previously concluded that the defendant “does not suffer from a psychotic illness,” and that she had been faking symptoms of one in a prior report.

The prosecution has not yet offered a plea deal as Hall’s defense attorneys, Mary Pizzo and Deborah Levi, filed a Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) plea, which is contingent on the results of Hall’s mental health evaluation.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on Dec. 5 for trial as they await competency results.